Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to passenger vehicles, and, particularly, relates to front seating in the passenger vehicles, and, in greater particularly, relates to a system and method for allowing persons to fully recline the front seats to allow for rest in smaller passenger vehicles classified as subcompact or compact, in particular.
Description of the Prior Art
The modern passenger vehicle has decreased in length considerably over the last 30 years. The main reason for this action has been the demand by the US government to meet higher fuel standards. Unfortunately, one of the prices paid is the lack of space within the interior seating area. Although the front seats have adjustable slides, insufficient space exists behind the seats to allow the seat backs to fully recline to provide a sleeping area or rest area. This is especially true in subcompact and compact vehicles. In these vehicles the front seat back may recline, but it is blocked from fully reclining by the back seat cushions.
An exception to this is the Honda Element® EX (out of production in 2012) and the Kia Soul®. In particular, the front seat is moved forward greatly to allow the front seat back to fold back without hitting the rear cushion when the headrest is removed. In this position, ample leg room does not exist so one would have to be laying on this flat area with the legs up on the flat area, but this vehicle is not a subcompact or compact vehicle as such, but a variant to provide a vehicle like a small station wagon. In much older vehicles, the amount of space between the front seat and the back seat allowed the front seat back to be folded back and down and such a car seat is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,451.
Other US Patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,398 disclose a car seating arrangement where the back seat cushion folds down into the rear foot well. Then the front seat back is folded down flat on top of the stored back seat cushion. The front seat back is also folded down onto the back seat cushion for support.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,025,420 discloses a mechanism to allow the front seat back to fold down to provide a flat surface. U.S. Pat. No. 7,240,949 discloses a vehicle seating design where both the front and back seat back fold forward to provide a flat surface. U.S. Patent Application 2009/0026824 discloses another mechanism for allowing the front seat back to fold backwards to form a full-flat surface. U.S. Patent Application 2012/0139316 discloses another mechanism for allowing the front seat back to fold backwards. All of the above patents, patent applications and items included herein and in the Information Disclosure Statement are incorporated by reference.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method for allowing seats in a passenger vehicle to be positioned as a flat surface for resting.